Price vs. Performance

[JerryDelColliano]

Strutter -

There is no reason to apologize to being new to AV. The fact you are on the forum and posting is great. You will learn a lot here and my entire staff is here to help you.

Why don't you jump on a plane to Seattle to see the Defintive Audio event? I know there are some bucks involved in that but it is like a mini-CEDIA tradeshow that you can get into. Just let me know if you want to come..

[Robinson_A]

Strutter,

Welcome aboard. You've come to the right place. I took a look at your system and you're well on your way. I try not to look at things to much as high end or low end, just high enjoyment. It all comes down to what you're willing to spend to acheive that high enjoyment. Like I've said before some of the most enjoyable systems I've ever owned cost me under a grand.

Stick with us, and I promise, you'll learn a lot. In the mean time enjoy your first foray into HT because at the end of the day that's what it's all about.

Andrew

[pschwartz]

I'm just now jumping in on the forum. I have to say strutter, the klipsch have impressed me quite a bit. In fact, I'm using the ProMedia 2.1 system as I type. They have been an amazing purchase. Buying these actually caused me to go and audition the reference series. I don't know if it's the way they had it set up (best buy). Or the room. Of coarse, he then put on some Vienna's that were way out of my price range, and they sounded great. I was really hoping to fall in love with the klipsch. I have also auditioned and am saving up for some B&W CM series. They are excelent, and if you get a chance to hear them, take some time and open your ears. The don't have the dynamic piercing effect of Klipsch, but still extended and controlled and wide open... excellent mids. Plus the great sound stage is what blew my mind. As far as price, they are but a step up of a few hundred compared to the Klipsch Reference, but bring you to a totally new performance level. IMO.
I've been reading AVrev for quite a while, I'm curious to see how this form turns out. Cheers guys!

[daniel]

I am new to your forum, but I am not new to high end audio. With two kids in middle school, I'll have to wait to upgrade for a while. My favorite system is now long gone -- my wife was intimidated by the speakers. I owned a pair of magnepan 1.5s (too tall), adcom 60 watt amp and an adcom preamp tuner. I also had a sony cd player. The little amp drove the speakers just fine. I would pull them out from the wall and they sounded great. I teach at the grad school level, and if I ask my students about high end speakers, they usually just stare at me. They all own ipods and do most of their listening on cheap headphones. Very few have heard a good system. I used to debate friends about planar v. box, or ribbon v. electrostatic. There were a ton of smaller stores but lots of speaker makers. I could spend an afternoon with a friend who owned reference KEFs or B&W 8 series, and later listen to Martin Logan. I wish there was a way that the high end industry could jump start interest. But as long as they listen to music through their phones, high end faces troubled times.

[G man]

Well, maybe I am in the wrong forum cause I can't purchase an exotic car or esoteric high end audio gear, but I like listening to music. Good is good and on principle, I would purchase good irrespective of the "image." So, what is good regardless of price? Well, some of the PSB speakers are very good. And I was very surprised by the Odyssey Audio Mono Block power amps - they are just plain good sonically and musically (I want to hear the artists performance and intent).

And there has to be other stuff out there like that: audio components that are just as good or even better than the esoteric, but priced fairly for what they are. And if a professional reviewer will not tell me what they are, then high end may be doomed long term. I mean, I was in the military when I purchased most of my high end audio equipment. Linn was not built by folks that drive Ferrari's, it was built by people like me that cared about listening to good music in the home. I saved money when at sea, then made my purchases with those savings and tax returns. Well, I certainly could not purchase a new Linn turntable like that today.

No, most of the stuff I read about now is either way too expensive, or simply garbage (sonically) that could not get any closer to the original recording that a wet paper bag. But if I were wealthy, I would have a better turntable and speakers, though I do not know right now that they would necessarily cost more than Linn gear.

[mmeyers]

Jerry,

I'd love to go to Seattle for the event. You buying?

Hope all your SPAM issues are small ones.

Mark